Humor columns

Menu

10 Things You Can Do for Mother Earth!

Everyone is complaining but few are prepared to do anything, even Neil Young who did a great job of getting people to fear and complain about the tar sands, couldn’t stay at a hotel, instead bringing several busses with him including one for his cook then leaving them running so they stayed nice and warm, while he performed. I am not singling out Mr. Young most of us do the same, we want something done about this we just don’t do something that will impact our lives in a negative way. Well, here are ten things you can do if you are serious and prepared to shoulder the results.

1. Insist the government double the price of gas and oil using taxes! If we encourage other countries to do the same it will result in less people driving and the demand for gas and oil will diminish. The tax collected should be put into an unemployment fund for the people of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland as the last time this sort of thing was done by Mr. Trudeau it threw thousands of people out of work and into bankruptcy, so we have to support them in some way. This of course will raise the price of everything else that is transported but that may not be all bad either as now the 100 mile diet will be really important and perhaps local famers will get sell more locally grown produce, which of course will also be more expensive as they also need fuel to farm. I don’t have the income of a Rock star but given the advantages and disadvantages I think we could all live a little poorer in order to protect the planet, what do you think?

2. Chrysler recently announced a billion dollar expansion to their factory in Windsor to enable producing more vehicles. I think we should begin protesting that move, after all it is vehicles that produce the most emissions. In fact I think we should put a 10% environmental tax on all new vehicles. Again two benefits, it would reduce the number being produced and it might force people to keep older vehicles on the road. In many places vehicles cannot be licensed after so many years, a boon to the manufactures but a problem for growing waste. vehicles not only produce more emissions, they consume oil produced plastics and fabrics, tires and metal which is a huge consumer of energy. In fact why not tax yearly all vehicles until they are five years old?

38 Ford – enjoying free warmth from the Okanagan Sun!

I drive a 75 year old car and love it. All the tax collected should go to upgrading and making free all public transportation to increase its use.

3. Give tax breaks to people and companies that install solar collecting heating and electrical systems in houses. We don’t need large unsightly solar farms, run by big companies, turn every roof into a solar collector for that property. The overall savings here might provide some relief from the added tax suggested above.

4. Tax people for public protests or demonstrations. Big companies spend billions on marketing and promotions while their opposition always gets free front page and TV coverage. If we levelled the playing field a little, the government could use that money for better crowd control so there is less violence and destruction or to actually put into place some of the good ideas these protesters have, after all someone has to pay so why not the people who want it most? Come to think of it, those who want to be heard most should be taxed extra if they bring a loud speaker or blow horn. That only makes sense as I don’t buy things I don’t want but pay for those I do, so shouldn’t everyone?

Give me more please!

5. Raise minimum wages to $15 an hour. I own a store in Alberta and we can’t find high school students that will work for that little. Sure it will force companies that have to complete with on line purchases out of business, but that is going to happen anyway. It is only a matter of time before most our shopping is done on line and items are shipped from giant warehouses in the US where minimum wage is $4 an hour. This will reduce local tax and local donations will cease but we will learn to cut back in these areas and who really cares if a Big Mac costs $20, I wouldn’t eat one if it was free.

Maybe again this would force us all to reconsider what we eat and we may begin living a healthier life style. How does this really help mother earth? Have you ever really looked at what you throw away after a meal at McDonalds or a Walmart purchase? I recently bought small item (not from Walmart) with a protective case. The packaging was six or seven times larger than the item so it stood out on the self. I was finally able to tear all the wrapping protecting the protective case, which could of housed the item but didn’t for marketing sake. Packaging that was made from oil produced products I might add.

I am hungry for an apple now so I am ending at five as this is getting long and hard to digest. If you agree and want to see the next five just like, comment or repost this, if it fizzles I will move on to another topic… like perhaps why didn’t we pick Rob Ford and Justin Bier to carry the flag at the opening ceremonies, they are the current news makers making us all proud! … have a great day!